


To Feel

by flabby_abby69



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:00:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27036088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flabby_abby69/pseuds/flabby_abby69
Summary: Toph Beifong wanders through her swamp when she begins to feel lost and allows herself to succumb to her memories.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	To Feel

Toph Beifong shuffled through the swamp, feeling the leaves rustle around her and a little squirrel dart up a tree.

She sighed, then inhaled, breathing in the refreshing air before sitting down on a boulder to meditate. Well, Toph didn't really meditate—it was more like brooding over all the things that annoyed her.

But today, Toph didn't feel irritated or cranky like she usually did. She felt... old. And tired, even though she hated to admit it. And more than anything, she felt _lost,_ lostin a way that she hadn't felt in a long time.

She hated giving in to her memories, falling into that bittersweet abyss for a while, yet she couldn't help it. They just took a hold of her sometimes. After all, it was hard to avoid such things when one lived alone in a swamp.

What would Katara think of her? The mighty Toph Beifong, the first metalbender, the Blind Bandit, with mud between her toes and aches in her bones, wallowing around in a swamp. She didn't know.

But she _did_ know that Katara was still out there, reaching the end of her time just as Toph was. She could feel the old waterbender through the earth and the roots and the vines sometimes, thousands of miles away. Toph missed her.

And she missed Aang, too. "Twinkle toes," she laughed softly, and suddenly, an idea occurred to her.

The old earthbender rubbed her bare feet around in the mud before standing to her feet. Then she stomped one foot and brought a chunk of earth to the surface. And she began her work.

Toph sliced her hand to the left and cut her other arm through the air in a decisive arc. She punched one fist forward and slid her foot through the mud. And all the while, the chunk of rock before her started to transform into something beautiful. Something with a staff in its hand and an arrow on its forehead. Something with a big smile and flowing robes.

The old woman couldn't _see_ her masterpiece, but she could _feel_ it. It felt just like Aang, the little Avatar, her best friend. She knew Aang would love his statue if he were here.

But if Sokka were here, he'd tell her that there was a lump on Aang's head or that one of his eyes was too big. He'd beg her to forge a statue for him, preferably with a steak in one of his hands. Toph smiled, and did just that, making sure that the steak was nice and big.

And she created a rocky Katara too, with her stupid loopies that she always wore in her hair. Then she constructed a very angsty Zuko with more muscles than he actually had. Toph tried to forget about her little crush on the fire prince all those years ago, but she couldn't deny the fact that she still admired him. If he were standing right next to her, she'd definitely punch him.

Toph wondered what he was doing right now. Certainly not making statues out of the earth. The old Firelord had much more important things to attend to.

She focused on the ground then, feeling the shape of her creations through the earth. And she laughed, delighted. The statues were perfect. They felt just like Katara, Aang, Sokka, and Zuko when they were kids. Except for a heartbeat, that pitter patter that made everyone different. Even the most powerful earthbender couldn't breathe life into a rock.

The tears started welling up then, and Toph scoffed to herself. "Only dunderheads cry over stupid memories."

But as Toph Beifong turned away, she let the tears fall, and she left the statues standing.


End file.
